Coburg Cow Stands Guard over West Ashley

One of the landmarks I constantly found myself using to give directions when we lived in West Ashley was “You know where the Coburg Cow is right? Well, we are across 17 from there”. Ashley forest is next to Avondale, and at the time, most of the shops of the “Avondale Renaissance” had not opened yet. The only other landmarks at the time were the original Krispy Kreme across from the Byrnes Downs Fire Station, and of course, the West Ashley AgentOwned office.

What has been described by many as the “big, rotating bovine” was first installed in 1959, to replace a two dimensional sign that marked the entry to the Coburg property. Our across-the-street neighbor, Sarah Baker, had ridden her bicycle to work at the dairy from her home in Ashley Forest for over twenty years.

In 2001, when Coburg moved its 220 person dairy operations to North Charleston, the cow was given a zoning variance to allow it to remain as off premise signage thanks to petitions, protests, and pro-cow activists. The Coburg brand has now become Borden of South Carolina, and there is talk of a proposed meeting between the Coburg Cow and Elsie, the iconic Borden “mascot” which dates back to 1937.

Now, of course, the St Andrews Shopping Center has been reinvigorated by the new Harris Teeter and Boaters World. The Shops at Avondale are flourishing with the addition of Mellow Mushroom Pizza, Triangle Char and Bar, and The Roost Sports Bar. And The Cow is ready to stand guard over West Ashley for many years to come…

For a complete, decade by decade history of this “utterly” ridiculous sign, see the Roberts Sign Company website at